Image forming apparatuses are generally devised to form an image on a printing medium according to input signals. Examples of image forming apparatuses include printers, copiers, facsimiles, devices combining some of the functions thereof, and the like
An electro-photographic image forming apparatus as a kind of image forming apparatus may include a photoconductor, upon a surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed by a light scanning unit, and a developing unit to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by applying developer to the electrostatic latent image. The visible image, formed on the photoconductor, may be transferred to a printing medium directly or by way of an intermediate transfer unit, and thereafter may be fixed to the printing medium via a fixing process.
The developing unit may include a developing device arranged longitudinally parallel to the photoconductor and may be configured to attach an amount of developer to the photoconductor. A regulating member configured to regulate a layer height of the developer may be attached to an outer periphery of the developing device.
As the developing operations proceed, some of the developer attached to the developing device may be removed from the developing device by the regulating member, and may tend to accumulate near the end portions of the regulating member, thereby applying a gradually increasing pressure to the ends of the regulating member. This may cause leakage of the developer between the regulating member and a sealing member. When the leaked developer is solidified upon receiving heat and pressure applied thereto, the developer may act to press the regulating member toward the sealing member, resulting in deformation of the regulating member. The deformed regulating member cannot effectively regulate a layer of the developer on the developing device, thus having a negative effect on the quality of a printed image. Since the solidified developer may adhere near the ends of the regulating member, the developer attached to both side ends of the developing device may have an increased height, having a risk of contamination of a non-imaging area due to the additional developer. Thus an image forming apparatus with an improved configuration of regulating member thus is desired.